John Milton(1608–1674)

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

This is the month, and this the happy morn,

Wherein the Son of Heaven's Eternal King,

O f w e d d e d m a i d a n d virgin m o t h e r born,

O u r great r e d e m p t i o n f r o m a b o v e did bring;

For so t h e holy s a g e s 2 o n c e did sing,

T h a t h e o u r deadly forfeit3 s h o u l d r e l e a s e ,

A n d w i t h his F a t h e r w o r k us a p e r p e t u a l p e a c e .

That glorious form, that light unsufferable,

And that far-beaming blaze of majesty,

Wherewith he wont at Heaven's high council-tablewas accustomed

To sit the midst of Trinal Unity, 4

H e laid aside, a n d , h e r e w i t h u s t o b e ,

F o r s o o k t h e c o u r t s of e v e r l a s t i n g day,

A n d c h o s e w i t h u s a d a r k s o m e h o u s e o f mortal clay.5

Say, Heavenly Muse,6 shall not thy sacred vein

Afford a present to the Infant God

Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain,

To welcome him to this his new abode,

Now while the heaven, by the Sun's team untrod,7

Hath took no print of the approaching light,

And all the spangled host8 keep watch in squadrons bright

See how from far upon the eastern road

The star-led wizards9 haste with odors sweet!

Oh run, prevent 0 them with thy humble ode, 1go before

And lay it lowly at his blessed feet;

Have thou the honor first thy Lord to greet,

And join thy voice unto the angel choir

From out his secret altar touched with hallowed fire.2

TheHymn

It was the winter wild,

While the heaven-born child

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;

Nature, in awe to him,

Had doffed her gaudy trim,taken off

With her great Master so to sympathize:

It was no season then for her

To wanton with the Sun, her lusty paramour.beloved, lover

Only with speeches fair

She woos the gentle air

To hide her guilty front with innocent snow,

And on her naked shame,

Pollute with sinful blame,

The saintly veil of maiden white to throw;

Confounded, that her Maker's eyes

Should look so near upon her foul deformities.3

B u t h e , h e r fears to c e a s e ,

S e n t d o w n t h e m e e k - e y e d P e a c e :

She, crowned with olive green, came softly sliding

Down through the turning sphere, 4

H i s ready harbinger,

W i t h turtle5 w i n g the a m o r o u s c l o u d s dividing;

A n d , w a v i n g w i d e h e r myrtle w a n d ,

S h e strikes a universal p e a c e t h r o u g h s e a a n d land.

N o war, o r battle's s o u n d ,

W a s h e a r d the w o r l d a r o u n d ;

The idle spear and shield were high uphung;

The hooked chariot 6 stood,

U n s t a i n e d w i t h h o s t i l e blood;

T h e t r u m p e t spake n o t t o the a r m e d throng;

A n d kings sat still w i t h a w f u l eye,7

As if t h e y surely k n e w their sovran Lord w a s by.

B u t p e a c e f u l w a s the n i g h t

W h e r e i n t h e P r i n c e o f Light

H i s reign o f p e a c e u p o n t h e earth b e g a n .

T h e w i n d s , w i t h w o n d e r w h i s t , 0hushed

S m o o t h l y t h e w a t e r s kissed,

W h i s p e r i n g n e w joys t o t h e m i l d O c e a n ,

W h o n o w h a t h q u i t e f o r g o t t o rave,

W h i l e birds o f c a l m 8 sit b r o o d i n g o n the c h a r m e d w a v e .

The stars, with deep amaze,amazement

S t a n d fixed in s t e a d f a s t gaze,

B e n d i n g o n e w a y their p r e c i o u s i n f l u e n c e , 9

A n d will n o t take their flight,

For all the m o r n i n g light,

O r Lucifer1 that o f t e n w a r n e d t h e m t h e n c e ;

B u t in their g l i m m e r i n g orbs2 did g l o w ,

U n t i l their Lord h i m s e l f b e s p a k e , a n d bid t h e m go.

A n d , t h o u g h t h e s h a d y g l o o m

H a d g i v e n day h e r r o o m ,

The Sun himself withheld his wonted 0 speed,usual

And hid his head for shame,

As his inferior flameas if

The new-enlightened world no more should need:

He saw a greater Sun appear

T h a n his bright t h r o n e o r b u r n i n g axletree3 c o u l d bear.

The shepherds on the lawn,meadow

O r ere t h e p o i n t o f d a w n ,

Sat s i m p l y c h a t t i n g in a rustic row;

Full little t h o u g h t t h e y t h a n 0then

T h a t t h e m i g h t y P a n 4

W a s kindly c o m e to live w i t h t h e m b e l o w :

P e r h a p s their loves, or e l s e their s h e e p ,

Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.simple

W h e n s u c h m u s i c s w e e t

T h e i r hearts a n d ears did greet

As n e v e r w a s by mortal finger strook,struck

D i v i n e l y - w a r b l e d v o i c e

A n s w e r i n g t h e stringed n o i s e ,

As all their s o u l s in b l i s s f u l rapture took:

T h e air, s u c h p l e a s u r e l o t h t o lose,

With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. 0cadence

N a t u r e , that h e a r d s u c h s o u n d

B e n e a t h t h e h o l l o w r o u n d

Of Cynthia's seat5 t h e airy r e g i o n thrilling,

N o w w a s a l m o s t w o n

To t h i n k h e r part w a s d o n e ,

A n d that h e r reign h a d h e r e its last fulfilling:

S h e k n e w s u c h h a r m o n y a l o n e

C o u l d h o l d all H e a v e n a n d Earth i n h a p p i e r u n i o n .

At last s u r r o u n d s their sight

A globe of circular light,

That with long beams the shamefaced Night arrayed;

The helmed cherubim

A n d s w o r d e d s e r a p h i m 6

Are s e e n i n glittering ranks w i t h w i n g s displayed,

H a r p i n g l o u d a n d s o l e m n quire,choir

With unexpressive 0 notes, to Heaven's new-born Heir. inexpressible

S u c h m u s i c (as 'tis said)

B e f o r e w a s n e v e r m a d e ,

B u t w h e n o f old t h e s o n s o f m o r n i n g s u n g , 7

W h i l e the Creator great

H i s c o n s t e l l a t i o n s set,

And the well-balanced world on hinges 0 hung,the two poles

And cast the dark foundations deep,

A n d bid t h e w e l t e r i n g w a v e s their oozy c h a n n e l k e e p .

R i n g out ye crystal s p h e r e s , 8

O n c e b l e s s o u r h u m a n ears,

If ye have p o w e r to t o u c h o u r s e n s e s so;

A n d let y o u r silver c h i m e

M o v e i n m e l o d i o u s t i m e ;

And let the bass of heaven's deep organ blow;

And with your ninefold harmony

Make up full consort 0 to th' angelic symphony.accord; mate

For, if s u c h h o l y s o n g

E n w r a p o u r f a n c y long,

T i m e will r u n b a c k a n d f e t c h t h e age of gold;9

A n d s p e c k l e d vanity

W i l l s i c k e n s o o n a n d die;

A n d l e p r o u s sin will m e l t f r o m earthly mold;1

A n d H e l l itself will p a s s away,

A n d leave h e r d o l o r o u s m a n s i o n s to t h e p e e r i n g day.

Yea, T r u t h a n d J u s t i c e t h e n

W i l l d o w n return t o m e n ,

Orbed in a rainbow; and, like 0 glories wearing,similar

Mercy will sit between,

T h r o n e d in c e l e s t i a l s h e e n , 2

With radiant feet the tissued 3 clouds down steering;

And Heaven, as at some festival,

W i l l o p e n w i d e t h e g a t e s o f h e r h i g h p a l a c e - h a l l .

B u t w i s e s t Fate says n o ,

T h i s m u s t n o t yet be so;

T h e B a b e lies yet i n s m i l i n g i n f a n c y

T h a t o n t h e bitter cross

M u s t r e d e e m o u r loss,

S o b o t h h i m s e l f a n d u s t o glorify:

Yet first, to t h o s e y c h a i n e d in s l e e p , 4

The wakeful 0 trump of doom must thunder throughawakening

the deep,

W i t h s u c h a horrid c l a n g

A s o n M o u n t Sinai rang,5

While the red fire and smoldering clouds outbrake:

The aged Earth, aghast,

W i t h terror of that blast,

Shall from the surface to the center shake,

When, at the world's last session,

T h e d r e a d f u l J u d g e i n m i d d l e air shall spread his t h r o n e .

A n d t h e n at last o u r bliss

Full a n d p e r f e c t is,

B u t n o w b e g i n s ; for f r o m this h a p p y day

T h ' old D r a g o n 0 u n d e r g r o u n d ,Satan

In straiter limits b o u n d ,

N o t half so far c a s t s his u s u r p e d sway,

A n d , w r o t h t o s e e his k i n g d o m fail,

S w i n g e s 0 t h e scaly horror of his f o l d e d tail.lashes

T h e O r a c l e s are d u m b ; 6

N o v o i c e o r h i d e o u s h u m

R u n s t h r o u g h t h e a r c h e d roof in w o r d s d e c e i v i n g .

A p o l l o f r o m his shrine

C a n n o m o r e divine,

W i t h h o l l o w shriek t h e s t e e p o f D e l p h o s leaving.

N o n i g h t l y trance, o r b r e a t h e d spell,

Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

T h e l o n e l y m o u n t a i n s o'er,

A n d t h e r e s o u n d i n g shore,

A v o i c e of w e e p i n g heard a n d l o u d l a m e n t ;

F r o m h a u n t e d spring, a n d dale

E d g e d w i t h p o p l a r pale,

The parting genius 0 is with sighing sent;local spirit

With flower-inwoven tresses torn

T h e N y m p h s 7 i n t w i l i g h t s h a d e o f t a n g l e d t h i c k e t s m o u r n .

I n c o n s e c r a t e d e a r t h ,

A n d o n t h e h o l y h e a r t h ,

The Lars and Lemures 8 moan with midnight plaint;

In urns and altars round,

A d r e a r a n d d y i n g s o u n d

Affrights the flamens at their service quaint; 0priests / elaborate

And the chill marble seems to sweat,

While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted 0 seat.usual

P e o r 9 a n d B a a l i m

F o r s a k e t h e i r t e m p l e s d i m ,

W i t h t h a t t w i c e - b a t t e r e d G o d o f P a l e s t i n e ; 1

A n d m o o n e d A s h t a r o t h , 2

H e a v e n ' s q u e e n a n d m o t h e r b o t h ,

Now sits not girt 0 with tapers' 0 holy shine: encircled /candles'

T h e L i b y c H a m m o n 3 s h r i n k s h i s h o r n ;

I n v a i n t h e T y r i a n m a i d s t h e i r w o u n d e d T h a m m u z m o u r n . 4

A n d s u l l e n M o l o c h , 5 fled,

H a t h l e f t i n s h a d o w s d r e a d

H i s b u r n i n g i d o l all o f b l a c k e s t h u e ;

I n v a i n w i t h c y m b a l s ' r i n g

T h e y call t h e grisly k i n g ,

In dismal dance about the furnace blue;

The brutish gods of Nile as fast,

Isis, a n d O r u s , a n d t h e d o g A n u b i s , h a s t e . 6

N o r i s O s i r i s s e e n

I n M e m p h i a n g r o v e o r g r e e n ,

Trampling the unshowered grass 7 with lowings loud;

Nor can he be at rest

W i t h i n h i s s a c r e d c h e s t ;

Nought but profoundest Hell can be his shroud;

In vain, with timbreled 0 anthems dark,tambourine-backed

The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipped ark.

He feels from Juda's land

The dreaded Infant's hand;8

The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn;eyes

Nor all the gods beside

Longer dare abide,

Not Typhon9 huge ending in snaky twine:

Our Babe, to show his Godhead true,

Can in his swaddling 0 bands control the damned crew.binding

So, when the sun in bed,

Curtained with cloudy red,

Pillows his chin upon an orient 0 wave,Eastern; bright

The flocking shadows pale

Troop to th' infernal1 jail;

Each fettered ghost slips to his several 0 grave,separate

And the yellow-skirted faysfairies

Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-loved maze.2

But see! the Virgin blest

Hath laid her Babe to rest.

Time is our tedious song should here have ending:

Heaven's youngest-teemed star3

Hath fixed her polished car,

Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending;

And all about the courtly stable

Bright-harnessed4 angels sit in order serviceable.

1645